Toronto Maple Leafs pass huge test as power play explodes

The Toronto Maple Leafs passed a huge test on Tuesday night at they shut out the Boston Bruins 4-0. While the win is big in itself, the underlying subplot makes this win the biggest one of the season.

The encouraging win breathes life into what has been a rather underwhelming Leafs season to date. So, let’s take a look at some key points from the Toronto Maple Leafs win against the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night.

The Leafs beat the archrivals. That fact alone is enough to declare Tuesday night’s game as passing a huge test. The Leafs, playing without Auston Matthews, did not buckle under the pressure. In fact, they played arguably their best game all year, going a full sixty minutes.

We did not see any silly defensive gaffes or any other mental miscues that led to silly goals. For instance, the last time these two clubs met, Matthews’ ghastly giveaway in overtime sent the Bruins off with the two points.

Toronto Maple Leafs pass huge test as power play explodes

Stolarz game’s first star

Anthony Stolarz was fantastic. While he didn’t need to stand on his head, he made the saves he had to. The Leafs blueline cleaned up the rest. Watching the Toronto Maple Leafs in the third period felt like being transported to the 2020 or 2021 version of the Tampa Bay Lightning. They pounded the Bruins offensively and then shut the game down the rest of the way.

Stolarz got his first shutout of the year, earning the game’s first star.

Leafs overcame mental barriers

It seemed as though the mental barriers the Leafs have had against Boston virtually vanished, giving the Leafs the confidence to take on the Bruins head-on. Not only did the Leafs win, but they did so in a convincing fashion.

After Steven Lorentz added an empty-netter to make it 4-0, it seemed as though the Bruins simply ran out the clock, praying for the game to end as quickly as possible.

The power play exploded

By far, the Leafs power play was the biggest story of the game. The Leafs went 3-for-7 with the man advantage, capitalising on a largely undisciplined Bruins team. Boston Leads the league in penalty minutes with 159, making them prime candidates for the Leafs power play outburst.

In short, the Leafs power play explosion was bound to happen. The coaching staff had been tinkering with the power play, trying to find a way to get it going. It seems something has finally clicked, reviving the Leafs power play as it lay on life support. It's worth pointing out that Mitch Marner drove the power play, notching two assists as a result. The Lefas have now also gone four games without allowing a power-play goal.

While the Leafs are hardly out of the woods, Tuesday night’s victory could become the inflexion point that sparks a turnaround for Toronto.